


like the cat that got the cream

by nonamebut



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Friends to Lovers, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung & Lee Jeno Are Siblings, M/M, Misunderstanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21872740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamebut/pseuds/nonamebut
Summary: Renjun is the new apprentice of the best witch in town, Lee Doyoung.  The very same Lee Doyoung who also happens to be the older brother of his long time crush.Needless to say, this makes coming over for magic training all the more nervewracking.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 10
Kudos: 115
Collections: DreamXmas 2019





	like the cat that got the cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reonjeons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reonjeons/gifts).



> happy holidays tine! i am gifting you my first ever noren fic :) it's been a while since i wrote so i'm kinda rusty but this prompt was honestly very fun to write and i hope that you don't mind i took a bit of a creative liberty haha.
> 
> if you aren't tine and are curious of the prompt, here it is: "person a is a new apprentice of the best witch in town and accidentaly transforms his mentor's brother into a cat."

If a week ago you told Huang Renjun that he’d be spending his precious Saturday morning at Lee Jeno’s house, he would have straight-up laughed in your face. Maybe he’d have thrown in a snarky side comment while he was at it: _Ha, ha, very funny. As if Lee Jeno would ever work up to courage to ask me out._

But a whole rollercoaster of a week later—a whole _magical awakening_ later—Huang Renjun is, indeed, very much in Lee Jeno’s house. He’s been invited into Lee Jeno’s house on a Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, that invitation is not exactly as it seems. Because, technically, he’s not here for Lee Jeno. He’s here as the newest magical apprentice of Lee Doyoung, Jeno’s older brother.

“Tell me again, why you had to drag me here, too.” Donghyuck whisper shouts, looking very annoyed and very disgruntled on the couch seat across from Renjun. “You’re the one who’s got the superpowers! I could be home, sleeping.”

Renjun is pretty sure Donghyuck’s just pissed that he’s ditching a possible date with his boyfriend, but Renjun knows for a fact that Mark has been busy with his studies this past week and there’s no way that they could have done anything together.

“You’re here for emotional support! I can’t face him alone.”

Donghyuck’s lips shape into a wobbly o. “Him?”

Yeah, _him_. The wonder boy. Renjun’s miraculous crush for quite a while now.

It’s like their tragic love story has gotten all the more complicated with Renjun’s awakening. And now that he knows that Jeno’s a part of something bigger, he feels all the more intimidating—more unobtainable.

“Don’t say it.” His ears feel like they’re being burnt off.

Suddenly the sprawling carpet, the tiny fibers of energy woven into an evergrowing tree of magic and blood, seems all the more interesting than Renjun’s love issues. He scuffs his converse along the branches, Doyoung’s voice echoing in his head. _It’s rare, for people like you to manifest powers without any magical background. But it’s okay—there’s people like us who will take care of you._

He’s toeing the branch with Doyoung and Jeno’s names when a soft, tiny sound comes from Renjun’s left. He locks eyes with a black kitten, its eyes gleaming like twin emeralds. “Oh. Doyoung hyung didn’t say that he had a cat.”

Donghyuck laughs. “He didn’t, yeah.” The way he ends the sentence makes Renjun uneasy, but he supposes that it’s just Donghyuck being Donghyuck.

“What’s your deal, anyway?” Donghyuck speaks up again; he’s brave, that one. “You’re always super weird about Jeno. Do you have a crush on him or something?”

“… Duh.”

Dramatic gasp. Only Donghyuck could simultaneously inspire such feelings of annoyance and endearment. “Why don’t you ask him out then? This is so unlike you… what have you done to my best friend?”

“No way. I’d rather die.” Renjun blurts out. If he says it quick enough, maybe allowing himself to expose this much of his vulnerability won’t come across as pitiful as it seems in his head. “Why doesn’t he ask me? Does he not like me?!“

A pretty daring claim, if Renjun says so himself. But Jeno is the most obvious boy in the world, and while it’s nice being reassured that his feelings are reciprocated every time Jeno so much as breathes in his direction, it’s as if they’re stuck in this weird relationship limbo.

Donghyuck glances down at the black kitten, an almost devilish grin twisting his lips. “Wouldn’t only he know? I mean, Jeno? Right?”

The cat blinks, mewls. It makes Renjun giggle. Wise kitty.

“Well, we’re never going to find out.” Renjun gives Donghyuck the sternest look he can muster. Donghyuck has the decency to feign fear. “Because you’re not going to say anything, and if anyone is going to do any confessing, it’s definitely not going to be me.”

“First of all, the amount of faith you have in Jeno’s confessing skills amazes me every time.” Donghyuck jabs an accusing finger down Renjun’s way. The cat mewls again. “Secondly, who’s to say that I won’t say anything? I’m sick of you guys fumbling around each other!”

Renjun stares.

“Okay, okay, fine.” A long suffering sigh. “I promise I won’t say anything to him.”

“Good.”

When Renjun turns around and starts to make his way back to Doyoung’s room, he hears Donghyuck mumble something under his breath. It’s probably some melodramatic side comment, knowing Donghyuck, so Renjun pays it no mind and lets it slide.

He’s got more work to do, after all.

/

Hanging out with Jeno— _alone_ —while waiting for Doyoung to come over for another lesson is always nervewracking.

Renjun quietly curses Donghyuck in his head, playing with the lock button of his phone as he waits for his friend to arrive. Of all days to be late, why today, on the day everyone knows Doyoung has to go overtime at his part time human job?

He watches Jeno fumble with his own phone, sitting a few inches away from him on the couch. For the bajillionth time since they both sat down, Jeno turns to Renjun, his mouth opening and closing and opening and closing and eventually… doesn’t say anything at all, and looks down at his lap.

Overhead, the chandelier twinkles with magic. It’s kinda romantic, if Renjun thinks about it. The window is open, letting in the seven o’ clock charmlight.

Renjun’s trying not to get his hopes up but by God, why can’t he just spit it out? _Cat got your tongue?_

In the end, Jeno doesn’t get the opportunity to confess anything at all, because then Renjun’s magic spikes so nervously inside him.

It’s no wonder he causes a scene, an accident. One moment Jeno is sitting next to him, warm and buzzing with similarly nervous energy, then the next there’s a familiar fluffy kitten pawing at Renjun’s lap.

Of course this the moment Doyoung comes back. Renjun, still hysterical, is busy rushing out apology after apology as Doyoung tries to wave the poor boy off.

“Calm down, Renjun,” Doyoung repeats, the corners of his lips twitching. “Nothing is your fault. If anything, I’m to blame for not introducing the two of you sooner.”

The apocalypse of Huang Renjun begins at the utterance of two simple sentences. “Jeno, don’t be shy. Come here, Renjun is a great guy.”

“Jeno?” Renjun feels faint. “You named your pet cat after your brother?”

“Huh? No?” The condemning creaking of the fan is suddenly the loudest thing in the room. “Wait, you already know Jeno?”

Then the black cat slinks out of the cupboard, tail flicking about slowly, shyly. “Hey, Renjun,” the kitty says, except now it’s not a smol thing but a whole Lee Jeno towering over Renjun with the most sheepish smile.

“Oh, great!” Doyoung clasps his hands together the way Renjun’s seen Donghyuck do countless times before. It makes Renjun wonder how much of his friend group he’s been clueless to.

Doyoung laughs some more. “I should have known, you guys are in the same year after all!”

“Yeah,” Jeno says. He giggles nervously. “We were friends before he had the whole…” Here, he makes a bunch of cute vague hand gestures. “… the whole magical awakening thing. We thought he was just a human, so I never bothered to tell him I was magic, too.”

Magic. Renjun sure thought the wonder boy was _magical_ , alright, but now—

“Well, now you know!”

This is it. This is the end. Renjun embarrasses himself for the nth time that day as his vision suddenly turns dark.

/

“I know you’re awake.” There’s a bit of an awkward pause. “Your breathing kinda changed. Can’t you open your eyes and talk to me, please?”

Renjun still wants to die. “How about no?”

“Fine. How about I talk first, and you listen, okay?” A sigh. “I’m not… mad, or anything, I promise.”

“Look. I didn’t think to tell you at first because—because it didn’t matter?” It’s strange, seeing the self-assured, quietly confident Lee Jeno act so flustered. “It’s not like I’m the seventh son, or possess any particular powers that make me extra special.”

Jeno snorts; there’s a soft scuffing sound, and Renjun knows what he’s staring down at. “Also, I’m a Lee. I thought it was fairly obvious that I’m also… well, magic.”

“That’s true.”

It sounds like Jeno’s bumped into something, and it makes Renjun giggle. So cute. Of all the things to make wonder boy flustered—of all the people.

And all he said was two simple words.

(Maybe it’s a bit heartbreaking, to think that Jeno didn’t expect Renjun to humor him at all, but this is the same boy that couldn’t muster the guts to confess first, after all.)

“So? What are you trying to say, then.”

Maybe he just needs a little bit of help. Even though Renjun’s been trying to hint it at him for the longest time already. Patience is a virtue, and all that.

“I’m saying that, I don’t know. It was nice when you didn’t really know the whole of what I am. You just treated me like anyone else, and it was nice.”

Huh? Renjun kind of wants to cry. Donghyuck has been clowning him for the glances he’s been giving Jeno for the longest time and this is just. Not fair.

“I… don’t really think so, but okay. I kind of get what you mean. But why was treating you like anyone else so important that you… well…?”

Well. There are many things Renjun could call him out on. Not just that time Donghyuck had pulled an admission out of Renjun, though that was definitely quite the moment.

There were all those times Renjun had later cuddled with him when he thought no one was there to see him being soft. The off chance that Renjun was feeling sick and let the cat lie at his feet. Or those days when he and Donghyuck blasted whatever was on top of the Melon chart and sang their boredom away—it was always as if the cat had been mewling along with them.

God. There were moments of weakness, when Renjun had pouted at the thing. He had pouted and ranted about what Jeno did that day.

Jeno did this, Jeno did that. Blah blah blah.

Finally reading the mood for once, Jeno said this: “It’s because you’re, um, special to me. The way you treat me is important because you’re the one I like. In particular.”

It was special because it was normal? Renjun doesn’t really get him. He can’t fathom it, whatever strange but surely brilliant things that live in Jeno’s thoughts. But even so, even so.

“… So, um. I know this situation is not that romantic, but what do you say?”

 _What does he say?_ You’re kidding, Lee Jeno.

Renjun pouts.

“What do you think?” Renjun doesn’t open his eyes. He thinks, so very furiously. He hopes for once Jeno will get the hint.

And thank God, he does.

(Sleeping Beauty is, as they say, shaking. Aurora could never.)

Unfortunately, Renjun’s first kiss is shortlived, because then someone other than Jeno coughs. Jeno pushes away nervously as Renjun opens his eyes.

And there the devil himself, Lee Donghyuck, is standing. By the doorway to the living room, holding up his iPhone and probably livestreaming the whole thing to his channel with a bajillion annoying subscribers.

“Okay, maybe I may have gotten a little help. I didn’t really get it, that time.” Jeno runs a hand through his hair, sheepish.

Of course he wouldn’t.

Fumbling with his phone, Donghyuck gives Renjun a thumbs up. “I’ll leave your I-G in the description, don’t worry.”

Jeno whines, wanting Donghyuck to plug his socials too.

 _Traitor_ , Renjun mouths at the other idiot in the room.

Donghyuck just giggles.

“Hey?”

His stomach drops when Jeno reaches out to hold his hand and tangles their fingers together. Renjun doesn’t know if it’s because of the adrenaline rush of a realization, or the magic that flows excitedly through both of their veins, but he supposes that it doesn’t really matter in the end.

What a rollercoaster of a week, Renjun thinks. He supposes, again, as he looks at Jeno’s kind eyes and stares at his sweet smile, that he wouldn’t mind it if this is how the rest of his life is going to pan out.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading i hope you enjoyed this even just a fraction of how much i did writing did hehe <3 <3 have a great end of 2019 <3


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